Asterisk has a skin tumor, does anyone have experience?
I took Asterisk to the vet and was told that we can monitor it for the next few months. My vet took measurements and said that if it changes size or color (which she stated we would not be able to see since it's under the skin and into the muscle) that we would remove it. She seemed unconcerned that it was something to move quickly on, but to bring her back in if we notice anything. She said that if she required surgery it would be quick and while she was out we could get her teeth cleaned. I trust our vet and feel that waiting a few months while monitoring it isn't a bad plan. Josh is beside himself with worry. He's always been high-strung and a worrier. He is stating that the tumor changed size (he did this within a few hours of her seeing the vet). I haven't noticed a change. I told him we'll just have the tumor removed. Even if it's not causing her discomfort and the vet said we can monitor it, I think just with Josh knowing that it's there, he's giving himself an ulcer. Does anyone have any experience with skin tumors? Any advise on what to look for? Asterisk just turned 3 today, so she's still very young. |
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| Being only 3 I would lean toward having it removed and have pathology done to see what it is. If she were 6 or 7 or older I might think just a fat cyst but she's a little young for that. I also know a dog who had a lump above his tail nub from the time he was about 6, they left it and then over a period of 6 months it grew and popped out through the skin and became a very large tumor. It was removed when he was almost 8 and it was indeed cancer. He's almost ten now and doing fine. |
| If the tumor is growing since she was at the vet's then that would probably be a cyst. China had a cyst recently and the dr, as we was trying to figure out what it was, stuck a syringe in it and the syringe filled with fluid. So just a cyst. Just keep an eye on it like the vet said. |
| Although your vet is probably right, I'm a worrier too. I'd want something done to check it. We've had lots of cysts and such over the years. Can you move it around? If you can gently squeeze it and get your fingers under it, moving it at once, it's probably encapsulated and harmless. That's always been our way to assess it, but I'd probably ask for a needle aspiration (if possible) just to know. They don't cost much, and are easy to do. I'm not one to panic, but I just always feel better checking things out early. |
traciels28 wrote: Can you move it around? If you can gently squeeze it and get your fingers under it, moving it at once, it's probably encapsulated and harmless. In the words of our vet it's 'in there.' The bump is fixed to the muscle and doesn't move with the skin. Josh is just a wreck and said that when he comes back from Mexico this week (he's traveling a LOT this month) he wants to go with me to the vet and schedule the removal. I don't really want to put her through and unnecessary surgery, but, I can't really see a reason not to pursue this. She's young and I think recovery will be fast. It just hurts my heart to think that she is going through this... |
| Oscar has had MULTIPLE lumps and bumps removed over the years, starting when he was as young as 2 years old. My vet palpates them, and decides how quickly they need to be removed, if at all. When I read your post, my first instinct was that it was probably okay to wait until a teeth cleaning was necessary, so that Asterisk wasn't sedated more than needed. But the part about it being attached to the muscle gave me pause. When it comes to lumps, the main criteria for my vet is definitely how easy it is to move around, if it's smooth or not, and if it's hard or soft. If the lump is "loosy-goosy" and just in the skin, easy to get your fingers around and under, my vets are not as concerned as when it is embedded. It's probably just a cyst, but if this were Oscar, I would at least have it aspirated, if not removed. Removal always makes more sense to me, as it's usually what is prescribed if something in the pathology comes back problematic. (Oscar's had at least 8 lumps over the years, and the vet only aspirated one, as it was huge, and removed all of the others. All have been benign growths, and the big one they aspirated was a fatty tumor, which has shrunk down to the size of a dime.) Oscar, even with all of his immune issues, recovers quickly from the lump removals. He takes pain killers for a couple of days, and then it's a struggle to keep him from running around like a maniac.  Laurie and Oscar |
| We do the same as Laurie... we have every lump or bump aspirated. Mine have had cysts, histiocytomas and fatty tumors (my BC-mix is extremely lumpy). Hoping that Asterisk's will be something simple too! |
| Most of the time they are either fatty tumors (benign) or sebaceous cysts. Mariah had one removed about 6 weeks ago that was hard & not really able to move around. My vet isn't one to cut unnecessarily but this one he thought should come out. Ended up being a calcified sebaceous cyst that was deeply embedded. He was able to remove it by only tranquilizing her & numbing the area. He opted to do it that way because she's pretty good about letting him do anything to her & was considering her age (11 years old). She had about 8 stitches & mended quickly. |
| Marilyn, that description sounds like Asterisk's lump. It's firm and does not move, it's fixed to the spot. I have to say, I'm feeling a bit better talking to you guys who have had this experience as well! I hope that it's something benign as well, Asterisk is just the perfect dog and it's heart breaking to have anything happen to her. |
| Ditto to what marilyn said, where the lumpy is would not be cause for concern, regardless if they increase in size they need to come out as less of an op rather then waiting. You if any doubt and not wanting to go the surgery way at the moment, "Needle Aspirant" to see and a simple procedure to ascertain the type of lumpy it is, my prediction, sebacous cyst or Fatty lymphoma which is a benign fat lump. At Asteriks age, I would not think any sort of malignant tumour happening there. If cyst related then that can grow in size and pop and be a big mess, lf fatty benign related it still increases in size and depending on where it is situated needs to come out, same with if it is a cyst as better both growths gone. I would be very surprised at your babys age if it is a malignant possibility as where it is seems not to drastic. Possibily having it removed but not as an emergency situation would be better because either type can grow and hers being on the muscle area could migrate more into that tissue and make future removal a more advanced situation for extraction.  Any doubt to how you proceed then get the vet to aspriate the lump and see what it is and wether to wait or have it out. We all panic with lumps but I am sure your sweeties is not detrimental. My opinion if at all worried have it out soon. End of problem and lump gone |
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